WASHINGTON – The Humane Society of the United States today released the following statement on behalf of 63 organizations representing more than 10 million Americans. The groups are urging Congress to pass legislation rescinding a provision in the 2004 omnibus appropriations bill that allows wild horses to be slaughtered for human consumption: Just two days after the U.S. Senate passed Resolution 452 naming December 13, 2004 the National Day of the Horse, that same body passed an omnibus appropriations bill with language gutting longstanding protections for wild horses that currently disallow their sale for slaughter.
The resolution language bestows recognition that horses, both wild and domestic, are a "living link to the history of the United States," that they are a "vital part" of the "collective experience" of the U.S. and that they "deserve protection and compassion." Ironically, the omnibus language, which was slipped in surreptitiously by Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT) and subsequently passed by an unsuspecting Congress, mandates that any excess horse or burro be sold "without limitation" to the highest bidder "if the animal is more than 10 years of age" or "has been offered unsuccessfully for adoption at least 3 times."
This means thousands of wild horses will be taken from holding facilities or the range and sent directly to auction, where they are likely to be bought for slaughter by "killer buyers". Killer buyers purchase and transport the horses to one of three foreign-owned plants in the U.S. that slaughter horses for human consumption in Europe and Asia. All are looking to make a "killing" financially and all will soon be aware of their new windfall engineered by Senator Burns.
Protection for wild horses in the U.S. was mandated under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act after decades of assaults on their populations. Hundreds of thousands of horses and burros were summarily shot, rounded up and sent to slaughter for the pet food industry, and removed from the plains permanently due to competition from ranchers who graze their cattle on public land at minimum cost. At the turn of the century, there were some two million wild horses but by the time the federal law was passed, there were estimated to be less than one percent left. There are an estimated 4.1 million head of cattle and 36,000 wild horses on our public lands, yet the cattle industry has maintained a steady drumbeat against the horses, claiming that there is still not range enough for their livestock. Today, less than 3% of the beef consumed in the United States is grazed on public lands, at a minimum cost to the taxpayer of $128 million a year according to a 2002 report commissioned by the Center for Biological Diversity.
Velma Johnston, aka Wild Horse Annie, was the woman responsible for the passage of the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act through her tireless efforts to stop the slaughter of America's majestic wild horses and protect them permanently. She inspired more mail to Congress for wild horses than on any other issue, with the exception of the Viet Nam war. Johnston must be turning over in her grave with Senator Burns' provision to send America's beloved wild horses and burros to slaughter.
Since the announcement of this omnibus wild horse rider, citizens have been flooding their federal legislators' offices with calls demanding protections for America's wild horses. The undersigned 63 organizations representing a combined constituency of over 10 million citizens call on Congress to "be mindful" of wild horses, as the Senate Resolution for a National Day of the Horse requires, and to quickly pass legislation correcting this tragic error when they reconvene in 2005. We promise to work tirelessly until America's wild horses and burros are safe from the slaughterhouse once again.
On behalf of the following undersigned organizations:
American Horse Defense Fund, DC
American Horse Protection Association, DC
American Humane Association, CO
American Mustang & Burro Association, CA
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, NY
American Wild Horse Preservation Coalition, CA
American Wild Horse Sanctuary, CA
Angel Acres Horse Haven Rescue, PA
Animal Protection Coalition, Inc., IN
Animal Protection Institute, CA
Bates Horse Motel, IN
Beautiful Horses, NM
Blue Mule Ranch, CA
Camelot Mustangs Least Resistance Training Center, FL
Cherry Creek Equestrian Center, WA
Colorado Wild Horse & Burro Coalition, CO
Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses
Doris Day Animal League, DC
DreamCatcher Stables, KY
Equitouch of Wyoming, WY
Finish Line Foundation – Equine Rescue and Recovery Program, NC
Fireside All Animal Rescue, MI
Florida Wild Horse & Burro Association, FL
Front Range Equine Rescue, CO
Fund for Animals, DC
Fund for Horses, TX
Grey Oaks Farm Equine Sanctuary, OK
H.O.R.S.E. Rescue & Sanctuary, NY
Habitat For Horses, TX
Heart’s Desire Equine Rescue, Inc., NC
HollyBerry Farm and Rescue, NM
Horse Play Therapeutic Riding Center & Equine Sanctuary, RI
Horse Rescue Empowerment Troupe, WA
Horse Rescue, Relief and Retirement Fund, GA
Indiana Horse Rescue, IN
Intermountain Wild Horse and Burro Advisors, Inc. UT
International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros, SD
Kickin’ Back Ranch, CA
Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, CA
LRTC Wild Horse Mentors, NV
Middleburg Humane Foundation, VA
Muddy River Stable, NH
North Carolina Wild Horse Association, NC
Placitas Animal Rescue, NM
Pony Express Delivery Service, TX
Redwings Horse Sanctuary, CA
Return to Freedom, CA
Society for Animal Protective Legislation, DC
The American Indian Horse Registry, TX
The Equine Rescue League, VA
The Humane Society of the United States, DC
Thoroughbred Charities of America, DE
Tindell's Horse and Mule School, CA
Turtle Rock Rescue, NH
United States Equine Rescue League, NC
United States Equine Sanctuary & Rescue, TX
Western States Wild Horse & Burro Expo, NV
Wild Horse and Burro Freedom Alliance, CO
Wild Horse Observers Association, NM
Wild Horse Organized Assistance
Wild Horse Preservation League, NV
Windflyers Mustang Sanctuary, CO
Wyoming Mustangs, WY
